If I thought I was in over my head before, I was certain of it now. Jeremy was more than what met the eye. He was not only gorgeous, but he was also brilliant. He had plans and dreams that blew my stupid screenplays out of the water. It seemed absurd now that I spent night after night downstairs in the cellar in the dark crafting scenes once the restaurant had closed. I spent hours rewriting dialogue until my eyes were bleary. He had spent years networking and investing.

I wanted a baby. He wanted to run his own legendary franchise. He was going to make a mark on the industry. I was trying to increase the human population.

“Evie?”

“Hmm?”

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“Yes. I just had no idea. I don’t know how you keep everything straight. How you manage so many businesses and contacts at once. I had a hard time with three tables at Bella’s. And what’s that compared to what you’ve done?”

“Don’t compare us. You’ve had your own struggles. I remember what you told me about your mother last night. And the demands of your family.”

“But how did you do all of this alone?”

“There’s one answer. Sasha.”

“The beautiful Russian.”

“My assistant.”

“The one you’re not dating?” I wasn’t going to be foolish. There was no way I’d believe he hadn’t slept with her.

“I’m not dating her.”

My eyes narrowed. “You’re not dating her or you’ve never dated her?”

He groaned. “Why are we even talking about this? You and I have negotiated a good thing here. A perfect deal. People would kill to have this kind of marriage.”

I couldn’t let it go that easily. “An annulment won’t hurt my feelings. It will be quick and painless for both of us. How can you think after everything you just told me, that this is the kind of relationship that’s right for you? You need someone in your corner, Jer. You need a real support system. A real marriage.”

His eyes flared. “This is the relationship I need. You won’t interfere or distract me. We can live our lives however we want. I’ll focus on the team. You focus on writing and the baby. There’s no other obligation here.”

He zapped every ounce of romance out of the honeymoon suite with those words. The incredible sex didn’t soften him, or open his heart to me. It was only a part of the package. A clause in the contract. And when it came down to it, an amazing incentive to work harder and faster to produce his heir.

Could I live with that? Could I keep moving forward with this charade? Standing nearby while he conquered the sports world and I grew his baby.

He glanced at his watch. “The car should be downstairs by now. I can tell them we’re running a few minutes behind. It will give you a chance to change for our flight.”

My stomach churned. “Jer… ”

He stood from the table. He took my hand in his rough palm. “I was there, Evie. I was downstairs when you said your vows. You swore to be my wife.”

My throat tightened. I nodded. “I did.”

“And I’ve kept up my end of our bargain so far, haven’t I?”

I bit my lip. “Yes, you have.”

He had given me what I wanted over and over. I shivered as the flashes of heat pooled in my core.

He leaned down, brushing his lips against mine. “Come home with me.”

I nodded. “I want to, but what if we’re making a mistake?”

“It’s not a mistake. And no more talk about annulments.”

My eyes closed and I plummeted into the kiss like a wave crashing over a waterfall. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. I wanted to savor his lips. I wanted a deep powerful kiss that would silence the doubt.

“You’re mine now, Evie. You belong with me.”

I moaned when he slid open my robe, cupping my breast.

“No more back and forth.” He tugged my nipple between his fingers. “There’s only one direction for us.”

I shook my head. “No more.”

He pushed the fabric off my shoulder. He sank to his knees, pulling me to the edge of the seat. His fingers pressed into my flesh as he pried my knees wide. My breathing was already erratic. The anticipation of his next move was enough to make me squirm under his steady touch.

“You’re my wife,” he whispered along my thigh. “Exactly the way I want you to be.”

“Yes,” I whimpered.

“Mine, Evie. This is all mine.”

I looked in his eyes once more before he unleashed his tongue on me.

God help me. I was going through with this.

* * *

A bellman carried our bags into Jeremy’s apartment and abruptly left. I looked around. Ok. It was exactly what I expected. An extravagant bachelor pad with high-tech electronics everywhere. The TV filled the entire wall, along with a sound bar that stretched just as wide.

Everything was black, gray, or blue. I twisted my lips together. How could he not have a single pillow on his couch?

“What do you think?” He walked into the center of the living room. I’d never seen a coffee table made from a solid block of metal.

“It’s great,” I lied.

“I’ll give you the tour of your new place.”

I rubbed the sides of my arms, trying to imagine living here. The kitchen was adjacent to the oversized living room. The refrigerator appeared to be digital. It was all sleek and impersonal.

The balcony extended the entire span of the top floor apartment. The view from up here was incredible.

I followed him along the hall which disappeared between the kitchen and living room.

Jeremy had spent the entire flight from Asheville on his phone, either answering calls or working through emails. I stared out the window and tried to figure out what to tell my family. The clock was ticking on that phone call. Any minute now my mother was going to check in about the dinner shift.

Jeremy distracted me.

“On this side is my home office.” He opened a heavy wooden door.

I peeked inside. There was a single desk. It was neat and clean. His work space was the opposite of mine. I kept stacks of papers and scribbled notes around my computer. If I had an idea, I’d jot it down on the quickest thing I could find, whether that was a receipt or my waitress pad. I bit my lip nervously as we moved on.

“And this is a guest room.” He turned on the light. “It has its own bathroom. Can’t say it’s ever been used.”

“Nice.” I smiled at him. It was completely gray. But not a calming gray. Everything was steel and metallic. I wondered if no one slept there because all Jer’s overnight guests were attractive women. Women who more than likely shared his bed. I had to ignore those tugs of jealousy.

“Here’s my sports room. I keep the door closed all the time, especially at parties. I don’t let anyone in.”

My eyebrows rose. “You have a sports room?” It was the most personal room I had seen so far. It was an actual glimpse into his nature. “Why don’t you let anyone see this?”

I was mesmerized by the autographed memorabilia on the wall. There were baseballs, hats, team photos. It was an impressive collection.

“The contents of this room are worth more than the entire apartment.” He eyed me. “The door stays closed.”

I nodded. “Got it.”

We walked out. He pointed across the hall. “And this is the master.”

I could tell he was proud of the penthouse. Everything was expensive and lavish, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him it was also cold and dreary. It made me want to unpack a sweater and curl up.

I tiptoed into the bedroom. The sheets were black and the comforter gray. There were built-in stainless steel lamps on either side of the bed. I noticed each side also had its own control panel. I wondered what all the buttons did. The chandelier hanging from the center of the ceiling was constructed from thick pipes and bolts. He had embraced an industrial motif. Everything looked rugged and warehouse-like, but he had spent money. Each piece was flawless. They looked like one-of-a-kind designs.

I worked hard not to frown.

“Did you have a decorator?” I asked.

He shoved his hands in his pockets. “Sasha helped. She chose most of the pieces from a local artist. Everything was designed for me. You won’t find another collection like it in the entire city.” He seemed proud.

I clenched my jaw. I still didn’t think he was telling me everything about his assistant. It was evident she was part of his inner circle, and that included the keys to his master suite.

“Why don’t you rest while I head to the office?” he suggested. “It was an early morning after a long night.”

“You’re leaving?” I eked, spinning on my heels. “Already? We just arrived.”

“I have an investor meeting that was postponed until I returned. I’ve already pushed it back as far as I can. The driver is waiting for me downstairs.”

“Oh. The important investors you mentioned?”

He laughed. “All my investors are important. But I know you’re exhausted.” He began to back out of the bedroom. “Make yourself at home. Unpack. I’m sure there’s something in the fridge. Sleep. I think you’ll like the bed.”

“But—”

He closed the bedroom door and I heard his footsteps fade as he walked through the apartment.

I sat on the bed, surprised it was so easy for him to leave me here.

It wasn’t the Magnolia Inn. I didn’t feel the romantic embrace of the elopement suite. I stood and strolled to the windows. They were tinted for privacy, but I could see for miles. I wondered how often Jeremy took the time to admire the view. That had to be why he bought this apartment. I could see the entire city from his bedroom.

I already knew the answer to my question. He didn’t stop to enjoy the small things. He didn’t savor what he had. His eye was fixed on what he wanted.

I exhaled, turning for the bedroom door.

I wasn’t going to hang out here alone when there was an entire city to explore. I’d never been to New York. I wasn’t going to nap or rest while he took on the world.

I grabbed my bag and stormed out of the apartment. I’d never been the kind of girl to sit around and wait for something to happen, and I wasn’t going to start now.